Obama will not extend tax cuts, W.H. says

By DONOVAN SLACK

06/06/2012 12:18 PM EDT

The White House is sticking by its opposition to an extension of the Bush tax cuts for wealthy Americans despite the increasing number of Democrats voicing support for it, including former President Bill Clinton.

"He will not. Could I be more clear?" Carney said. "He will not support an extension of the upper-income Bush tax cuts. He could not be more clear."

Clinton suggested on Tuesday that the cuts on higher-income earners should be extended temporarily to allow the economy more time to heal. But Obama has repeatedly said he wants them to expire as scheduled at the end of this year.

"President Obama has been clear about his position and it has not changed: We should not extend and he will not extend the tax cuts -- the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent of the American people," Carney said Wednesday. "It's bad policy. It's bad for the economy."